London: New squatters’ newspaper SLAP released – Interview

By: fawda - February 3rd, 2016  Filed under: Interviews, News

201601_Squatters_of_London_Action_Paper_SLAPLast week a new squatter newspaper, Squatters of London Action Paper (SLAP), debuted online and today physical copies have started to emerge in squats and radical bookshops. Freedom caught up with a few of the authors to discuss the newspaper and squatting in London.

What is SLAP and what is it trying to achieve?

T: There’s been empty space for a squatting publication for a while now. It gives the illusion that there is less squatting activity in London – but this is not the case. SLAP is there to say: ‘There is still radical squatting activity going on in London. Occupations and resistances are happening all the time.’

A: There are loads of anarchist papers but not about squatting even though squatters are always on the front line of the fight for housing, free parties, against fash, whatever. So now there is. Also most of them are proper boring, you fall asleep trying to read them. So we wanted to do something that was a laugh. [Read More]

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Zagreb: ReciKlaonica celebrating 5th year of existence

By: fawda - February 2nd, 2016  Filed under: Communique, News

20160213_Zagreb_5_godina_otpora_Birthday_party_ReciklaonicaThese are the times when squats and autonomous spaces all around the world are experiencing a big fall due to governmental oppression, strict housing laws, fascist attacks, lower and lower number of people who still have the passion and interest for this form of the struggle – so it’s of a huge importance to participate and support on your local level!

Reciklaonica is a political squat and collective based in Zagreb. Aside from it being a home for dozens of people, dogs and cats, it also gave birth to projects such as a bar/club, rehearsal room, tool workshop, bike workshop, Free shop, anarcha infoshop, antifa gym, diy screeen printing lab, a permacultural garden etc. which all function on principals of solidarity without which this (or any) squat/project wouldn’t exist.

On February 11th we’ll be celebrating the 5th year of our existence:) and it wouldn’t be possible without our friends from all around the world who helped in keeping this place alive! *the part when we get all emotional haha*

We want to invite you to participate in Reciklaonica with your heart, with your skills, with your ideas… the same as we want to motivate you to squat & create something in your area. [Read More]

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France: Recent actions against Vinci and the state in solidarity with the ZAD

By: dolph-l - February 1st, 2016  Filed under: Communique, News

This article [from Rabble] is about developments in the ZAD (‘Zone to Defend’), the site in Western France of a 9+ year occupation against the construction of the Notre-Dame-des-Landes airport by French construction giant, Vinci.

Things have been heating up in France following the decision by a Nantes court to press ahead with the eviction of the last remaining official residents on site, who refused to sell their land. The court ruled that, of the residents, the farms and three families could be evicted straight away, but gave a two month delay to the eight other families. With this legal hurdle out of the way, it looks likely that attempts will be made to evict the occupations in the coming weeks.

Attempts to build an airport have been ongoing since the 60s, with resistance taking various forms since 1972. The site has been squatted for the past nine years. Occupiers are calling on people to get ready to act on the first sign of eviction. [Read More]

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Amsterdam: ADM – Lüske’ heirs commit fraud by tree-felling permit application

By: fawda - January 30th, 2016  Filed under: News

Again shoddy evidence by Chidda Lüske’heirss commit fraud by tree-felling permit

Last Thursday (January 28, 2016) Chidda C. S. again presented proof that was tampered with. Already before, crucial pages from an ecological report were made unreadable in an appeal against the municipally (10 dec 2015) and they withheld this important information in relation to the ecological value of the ADM from the environment department, who had to assess the permit for the felling of the trees and had specifically requested more information. Then Chidda hired another ecological bureau who were instructed to make a new report (19 jan) that suggests to make a summary of the previous report, but leaves out all the relevant conclusions and recommendations and presents completely other conclusions.

This is what the heirs of Lüske did in a court-case, where the residents of the ADM asked the judge to not allow the trees to be felled while the appeal against the permit to fell 470 trees in front of the gate is still going on. [Read More]

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Amsterdam: In-depth procedure against ADM

By: fawda - January 30th, 2016  Filed under: News

Also in in-depth procedure the judge concludes: plans insufficiently specific and realistic. January 7, 2016

Last summer the judge concluded that the plans presented by Chidda c.s. [=> Lüske’ heirs] for the ADM-terrain are insufficiently specific (verdict July 13th 2015). The municipally concluded the same on September 15th and again on December 10th 2015.
Now the judge of the in-depth procedure, a thorough procedure where every detail is investigated, draws the same conclusion. [Read More]

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London: Squatters of London Action Paper (SLAP!), 1st edition

By: fawda - January 29th, 2016  Filed under: News

201601_Squatters_of_London_Action_Paper_SLAPSquatters of London Action Paper is a new London freesheet for squat news, actions, history and events. Paper copies soon available at Freedom Bookshop in Whitechapel and 56a Infoshop in Elephant and Castle.
SLAP, 1st edition (page 1, page 2)
Contact: squatterslap [at] riseup [dot] net [Read More]

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London: Eviction Resistance Success at the Hope and Anchor Pub

By: fawda - January 28th, 2016  Filed under: News

20160128_London_Eviction_Resistance_Success_at_the_Hope_and_Anchor_Pub‘I’m going to call Billy Bragg.’ Despite the promise of one local supporter, the singing socialist did not show at the successful eviction resistance at the Hope and Anchor pub in Mornington Crescent two days ago – but many did. A small mob turned out to resist an eviction by county court bailiffs of squat crew Squatters and Homeless Autonomy, who had occupied the building just before its planned regeneration.

The building, owned by multi-millionaire Oliver Bengough, was initially intended for a mixture of upmarket flats and commercial space. But many in the area believe it will end as extension to Koko – the pricey “independent” music venue next door. This example of gentrification is among many others in Camden. Pubs that served the former working-class population are closed as their customers are priced-out, bought-up or evicted. [Read More]

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Learning From SHAC: Winter European Speaking Tour

By: dolph-l - January 27th, 2016  Filed under: News

We are pleased to announce our Winter European Speaking Tour across France, the Basque Country & Spain.

Friday 29th January – Dijon | 7pm | Eternel Detour, 16ter rue de Fontaine-lès-Dijon, Dijon

Saturday 30th January – Grenoble | 12pm | Parpaing Paillette, 104 avenue Ambroise Croizat, Saint Martin D’here

Saturday 30th January – Lyon | 8pm | l’Atelier des Canulars Canulars Workshop, 91 rue Montesquieu, Lyon

Sunday 31st January – Marseille | 7pm | Le Raccoon, Place du Lycée Thiers, Marseille

Monday 1st February – Toulouse | 5.30pm | Self-managed Social Centre of Toulouse (CREA)

Wednesday 3rd February – Pamplona | 6pm | Iruñeko Gaztetxea, Konpania Kalea, 3, Pamplona

Thursday 4th February – San Sebastian | 12pm | EHU Gipuzkoako Kanpusa, Donostia

Thursday 4th February – Zarautz | 8.30pm | Putzuzulo, 20800 Zarautz

Saturday 6th February – Bilbao | 5pm | Izar Beltz Social Centre, Bilbao

Sunday 7th February – Gijon | 5pm | Centru Social La Llume. C/Nava 1 (Esq. Avenida de Portugal), Xixón, Asturies [Read More]

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France/Finland: Direct actions from Rennes to Helsinki in solidarity with the ZAD

By: dolph-l - January 25th, 2016  Filed under: Communique

This Friday, January 22nd, at dawn, people decided to blockade the road passing through the middle of the construction site for the new Eurorennes train station and in front of the women’s prisons’ main entrance.

Bins were overturned, oil spilled and the following text plastered on the jail walls and site fences:

This morning, we’re blocking this road with help from some bins tipped over and spilled oil…

Because “the city of tomorrow”, wedged between the business district’s megalomaniac construction site that is Euro-Rennes, its future LGV high-speed rail and Europe’s largest women’s prison, represents itself exactly as dreamt up in the offices of Rennes Métropole’s project. [Read More]

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Melbourne, Australia: Disruption of Vinci and French Consulate in solidarity with the ZAD

By: dolph-l - January 24th, 2016  Filed under: Communique

To the defenders of the ZAD,

Solidarity from anarchists in so-called ‘Melbourne, Australia’- the never-ceded indigenous land of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation, stolen and occupied by the genocidal settler-colonial state.

In response to recent threats of violent eviction by the French State, actions were taken at several locations in Melbourne, the city built on the stolen lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation, in colonised Australia. The actions targetted the French consulate and offices of companies of the VINCI corporate-family linked to the proposed destruction of land at the Zone-A-Defendre [Zone to Defend]. [Read More]

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Groningen, Netherlands: Pino has to stay!

By: fawda - January 23rd, 2016  Filed under: News

Sociaal_Centrum_Groningen_Pino_Hereweg_97Where there is a will, there is a way. The former pizzaria Pino, at the Hereweg in Groningen is the oldest house in the street and has been on the demolition list for almost 30 years.
Now, 2016, it is the home for creative, free spirits.
Because the place is squatted and its interest is not economical profit, it makes it easier for people to get involved and organise something here. We notice that this activates lots op people! A few examples of activities that have taken place at Pino:
– the March against Monsanto was planned at our table
– we had a benefit evening for a teacher who was raising money for children in Kenia
– because our stage is open to all kinds of music, we get lots of surprising acts. International, but also a lot of local musicians. Almost every week we host live music here. Once we had a Norwegian duo that made music with a beer crate and a loop machine and we also hosted the very first concert of De Kat, a band from Groningen. The Pino is also part of the festival PleuropSonic, during Eurosonic, which attracts a lot of people every year. [Read More]

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Notre-Dame-des-Landes, France: February 27th – General mobilisation for the abandonment of the airport project – prepare yourselves!

By: dolph-l - January 22nd, 2016  Filed under: Communique, News

The mobilisation in recent days has been tremendous: thanks to the strength of the demonstration on Nantes’ outskirts, but also due to the actions and gatherings multiplying in dozens of other French cities. It’s clear that the anti-airport movement is denser and livelier than ever. This is because it’s become emblematic of so many other struggles against social and environmental destruction, the loss of agricultural land, climate change, the commodification of land and our lives. It’s also because it sprouts the discovery of inhabiting the world in other ways.

However the government confines itself in its deafness. The farmers and inhabitants of the zad are still threatened by eviction. The beginning of the airport project work is still announced in the short term.

The movement therefore calls for the continuation of actions for the coming weeks, and to pay particular attention to the judgement handed down on January 25th.

All components of the struggle also call for a day of massive mobilisation on February 27th. This mobilisation will be under the banner of stopping eviction threats against farmers and inhabitants of the zad, as well as the airport project’s definitive abandonment. [Read More]

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